Pupil Personal Development  is the approach we take as a school to ensure that each child’s journey with us includes key experiences that enrich the development of who they are as a person. This covers a vast array of areas that we offer as a school to enrich children’s time with us from building their Cultural Capital, to the clubs that we offer, to education on British Human Values. Each of these strands of enrichment can be found in further detail in our Pupil Personal Development Roadmaps. 

Our PSHE curriculum is taken from B&HCC recommendations and tailored for our community. PSHE is strategically tracked on Progression Ladders from EYFS all the way to Year 6 and we have a single, unified policy for the federation. One of our PSHE Leads is a Lead PSHE teacher for the council and as such our school is at the cutting edge of best PSHE practise. We provide a comprehensive foundation for pupils’ SMSC education, and this is enhanced through our nurturing environment, Positive Relationships policy, and by providing every opportunity for to children develop a strong moral compass.  

At Hove Learning Federation, we promote ways to maintain good mental health and wellbeing for our whole school community. We also provide coping and help seeking skills for when children are experiencing reduced well-being, as everyone does at some points in their lives. We believe that everyone has the right to express how they feel and seek support, without judgement. Children in the Juniors learn about both bodily and mental health in specific units each year. This is complemented with daily mindful moments.  

Our Mental Health Lead and staff use an online referral system enabling parents and carers to request mental health and wellbeing support for their child. We offer additional support and provide both individual and group support for pupils appropriate to need.  

The ambitious broader curriculum is designed to reflect our unique community in its increasing diversity. Our curriculum has been carefully planned to be challenging yet inclusive and reflective of both our community and locality. Pupils are immersed in reading, and these taught texts have been carefully selected to be inclusive, culturally diverse and to spark curiosity and conversation. Through our curriculum design, we have ensured that meaningful links across core and non-core subjects enable pupils to excel in all areas of school life – not just the academic. Opportunities have been sought to enable and encourage creativity and a love for healthy living, arts and eco awareness, thus building confident, resilient young people whose individual and unique qualities and strengths are celebrated. 

Through School and Eco Council and Pupil Voice, pupils have opportunities to discuss a wide range of issues. They learn how to listen to others and how to respectfully voice their opinions, empowering them to make change by voting for their choices and by writing persuasively for a range of purposes and audiences. 

Staff and leaders are passionate in their endeavour to ensure that all pupils, colleagues and community members feel a sense of belonging, as demonstrated via our IQM Flagship status.  

The school values are the thread that run through curriculum design and the culture of the school. Learning animals are introduced from YR -Y6 promoting independence, co-operation, teamwork, creativity and perseverance. Explicit teaching of the school's ‘Learning Compass’ is evident in lessons, and these are displayed in all classrooms and at significant points around the school. These help children understand the importance of cultivating key learning skills. 

School ethos and positive relationships policy is based on our key LEARN principle of ‘Respect’, and pupils have been part of discussions and assemblies related to what this means and how it is shown. The Learn statements are displayed around the school and in every classroom. They are revisited through PSHE lessons and assemblies as well as through our positive relationships policy. Learning characters have been embedded into classrooms using the ‘learning hexagon and compass’ and builds on KS1 practice for consistency. 

Trips and visitors are planned for carefully to enhance and enrich the engaging learning experiences of all pupils and develop their Cultural Capital. The impact of this broad and rich array of experiences is that through creating core memories, learning becomes embedded. Pupils make links to prior learning and connections with their locality. They begin to understand who and where they are in the world; they have a strong sense of self and belonging and by knowing what has come before them, they gain the confidence to begin questioning what may lay ahead – and what influence they may have on the future. Enriching and enhancing the curriculum with cultural capital in the curriculum is a key priority for 2024/25.  

The school has a high focus on personal development and wellbeing of all pupils through regular check-ins, individual and/or group support and wellbeing support for families including ‘Parent Gym’ run by the school learning mentor.  

Assemblies and discussions involving prejudices and prejudice-based bullying have been followed and supported by learning in both RE and PSHE. Pupils are encouraged to know, understand, and exercise their rights and personal freedoms and are advised how to exercise these safely, for example through our e-Safety and PSHE lessons. Protective Behaviours and Safety Skills are woven throughout the PSHE curriculum. 

An Anti-Racist Working party involving governors and staff is working towards HJS being an anti-racist school (see Anti-Racist action plan). Three sessions of Racial Literacy training have taken place for all staff including ‘Facilitated Conversations’. Feedback from LA to support Action Planning has been sought and new resources for the unit ‘Good to be Me’ have been embedded.  We set up a parent/carer anti-racist group in Autumn 24 and will be starting a pupil group in Spring/Summer 25. 

Breakfast Club achieved and were re-awarded the local authority ‘Healthy Choice’ gold status for our provision and wrap around care. The school was asked to share our story as best practice for the region, focusing on the use of art to encourage and support healthy conversations. 

Our approach to British Values is published on our website. All pupils can have their voices heard through our ‘School Council’ each month. Joint meetings are held with the Infants School Councillors where appropriate.  

Pupils are taught the value and reasons behind laws, how they govern and protect us, the responsibilities that this involves and the consequences when laws are broken.  

Opportunities to develop leadership roles and make a positive contribution:  sports leaders, school councillors, eco-councillor, play leaders and monitors. 

In addition to strong academic achievement, pupils are provided with opportunities in sport, music and the performing and creative arts. Range of extra-curricular clubs are being provided across both sites and disadvantaged pupils are targeted for attendance. 

Residential visit for Y6 and activity sports weeks provide part of the enrichment trips and visits for pupils. 

Online Safety is taught in each computing lesson and has increased pupil understanding of a range of strategies (and accompanying vocabulary) to keep themselves safe online and act as responsible digital citizens.   

Transition arrangements are embedded across the key stages and our achievement outcomes confirm that pupils are well-prepared for their next steps. Children are aware of, and have had opportunities to develop, their talents and skills. The school has identified clear characteristics it aims for pupils to have by the end of Y6 (from pupil voice) and uses this as a driver across the school. 

The school draws and celebrates the richness of its diverse school community. Language welcome displays on all class doors celebrate languages spoken in the classrooms. The school is very mindful of its changing demographic and responds to the needs of individual children. We celebrate our diverse community through assemblies, PSHE education and other special events. We have a language of the month featured in assemblies and key phrases are learned in class. Representations of characters are diverse and representative of our school community in text and displays across the school.